USA: South Carolina - Chicken Bog

Now that I've finished an A-Z around the world I've decided to focus on the USA. It's a country close to my heart as my husband JD hails from there. I'll be making a dish popular in each state in no particular order. Should be interesting!

I'm starting off in South Carolina with this chicken dish. As far as I've read, no-one seems to know why it's called Chicken Bog. Some say it's because of the wet texture of the dish and some say it's because it's from a boggy area of South Carolina. Either way it looks like a hearty one-pot dish that will go down a treat with me and JD.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

6 chicken thighs

200g smoked sausage

4 cups chicken stock

1 stick celery

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 cups white rice

2 bay leaves

Start by melting the butter in a pan on the hob.

Put the chicken breasts in the pan and leave to cook for 10 minutes turning once.

Take the chicken out and keep to the side for later. Chop up the vegetables and sausage. Saute them in the butter for 5 minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic, herbs and spices stirring well to cover everything.

Next add the chicken stock, bay leaves and chicken back to the pan. I think it looks like a bubbling bog now. Leave to cook for 20 minutes.

Finally, add the rice and give a good stir. Leave to cook for a further 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Shred the chicken a bit and give a last good stir.

I was right, we loved it. JD especially went into raptures over it. It was nicely spiced and full of meaty surprises as you delved through the rice. The rice was covered in a silky sauce from the stock mixing with the butter and reducing down. The onion, garlic and celery were delicious too. A whole bowl full of yum!